The lucky winner of the largest Mega Millions jackpot - $1.5 billion has donated a sizeable portion of her humongous prize winnings to charity.

The lucky Mega Millions jackpot winner, who chose to keep her identity private has given a substantial amount of her new found wealth to the Alabama Red Cross to aid tornado relief. She has also donated to several South Carolina charities.

The lucky Mega Millions jackpot winner’s lawyer, Jason Kurland, said his client decided to donate a sizeable fortune due to the fact that a tornado struck Alabama in early March.

He went on to say, "It just felt like we were having this great event when there were people suffering nearby."

Kurland added that his client prefers not to divulge the exact amount of her various donations but that they are sizable amounts. They did, however, agree that they would announce the charities to spread awareness.

Among the Alabama Red Cross, other charities include the Ronald McDonald House of Charities of Columbia, South Carolina; In The Middle (a charity that helps women with breast cancer); the City of Simpsonville Art Centre; and the One SC Fund for Hurricane Florence relief.

The lucky winner did send a message through her lawyer saying:

"Words can't describe the feeling of such incredible luck."

The Mega Millions took the lump sum cash option of $878 million

When the lucky winner finally came forward with her lawyer to claim the mammoth Mega Millions prize, she opted to take the once-off lump sum cash option. This is the largest American lottery jackpot prize awarded in the US.

Even though the $1,58 billion Powerball jackpot takes top spot as the largest American jackpot win, the prize was split between three winners. Therefore, the Mega Millions win, won by a single ticket takes comes in first.

Mega Millions lottery players will remember that she took quite some time to claim her record-breaking jackpot win. The reason for this was due to the fact that she spent time researching professionals to help preserve her anonymity and manage her new fortune.

She also decided, due to safety reasons, to keep her identity private. Thankfully, South Carolina is one of few states that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous.

Realising she won $1.5 billion

According to a statement released by her lawyer, Jason Kurland, the extremely lucky Mega Millions winner was driving on Highway 417 when she noticed signs for the jackpot outside a KC Mart in Simpsonville. She pulled over and went in to buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket.

Like all lottery jackpot winners, at the time of the purchase, she had no idea that her life would soon change forever.

Even though she took quite a long time to finally come forward to claim her prize, she did check her ticket the morning after the draw.

“She stared motionless at the ticket for what felt like hours,” Kurland reported. “Then came the jumping and screams of joy.”

Deciding whether or not to go public with a huge lottery jackpot win is something everyone has at some point or another thought about. On the one hand, you would love everyone to know that you now have more money than you could ever spend but on the other hand you are opening your life up to an array of displeasures.

Winning the world’s largest single jackpot will definitely help her stay out of the limelight: not only will her anonymity protect her family, friends, and reputation, but she will be able to do whatever she wants with the substantial winnings.

Tornado in Alabama

Early in March 2019, tornadoes ravaged parts of Alabama and Georgia, reaching estimated wind speeds of 170 mph. The worst-hit areas were in Lee County, Alabama, killing at least 23 people and injured dozens more.

Everything that came in the way was ripped up and left numerous families disbanded. The American Red Cross described the painful aftermath of the tornadoes as “as real and as raw as it gets.”

In a statement, the Mega Millions winner said, "I do realize that such good fortune carries a tremendous social responsibility, and it gives me a unique opportunity to assist, support and contribute to charities and causes that are close to my heart."